Design and development of a system to measure ambient levels of hydrogen sulfide and lower mercaptans from a mobile platform

Hydrogen sulfide and other reduced sulfur gases are released into the atmosphere during oil recovery operations. Little is quantitatively known concerning total sulfur flux due to these fugitive emissions. A mobile atmospheric research laboratory (MARL) was constructed to furnish facile, self contained access to oil field operations. An automated instrument that can continuously measure low levels of hydrogen sulfide with good time resolution (limit of detection 0.2 ppbv for a sampling time of 2.5 min) was developed and deployed on the MARL. Meteorological instrumentation and chemical instrumentation to monitor other gas and aerosol species along with information on meteorological conditions were also installed. Initial field data show a strong diurnal pattern of H2S concentrations.